follow up radiation?

kooljay
kooljay Member Posts: 7
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
can some one tell me about ,salvage radiation , ive had robtic surgury at loma linda and i might need to have radiation? gleeson score 7 - psa 13 these numbers are from the pathlogy report. after surgury. god wiling i wont need it . thanks.

Comments

  • BRONX52
    BRONX52 Member Posts: 156
    #2
    RADIATION
    Hi Kooljay
    I also had a gleason 7 pathology report after davinci but my psa was undetectable 6 weeks following surgery. However I decided to have adjuvant radiation as soon as possible after surgery which turned out to be two months. The reson I chose this path was a positive margin and extraprostatic extension. I could have waited for a possible rise in psa, and then do radiation (salvage) but I decided to have IMRT to try and kill any remaining cancer in the pelvic area. The radiation treatments lasted 8 weeks (five days a week). Side effects were slight fatigue towards the end of treatment and urinary urgency and frequency. These side effects cleared up within weeks after the treatments were administered. So far so good at 10 months post surgery/radiation- I believe a psa of 13 after surgery is a cause for concern. I would consult with my doctors and see what they plan to do. I am pretty sure another psa test will be part of the equation and then a plan of action depending on the results--- good luck
  • Kongo
    Kongo Member Posts: 1,166 Member
    #3
    BRONX52 said:

    RADIATION
    Hi Kooljay
    I also had a gleason 7 pathology report after davinci but my psa was undetectable 6 weeks following surgery. However I decided to have adjuvant radiation as soon as possible after surgery which turned out to be two months. The reson I chose this path was a positive margin and extraprostatic extension. I could have waited for a possible rise in psa, and then do radiation (salvage) but I decided to have IMRT to try and kill any remaining cancer in the pelvic area. The radiation treatments lasted 8 weeks (five days a week). Side effects were slight fatigue towards the end of treatment and urinary urgency and frequency. These side effects cleared up within weeks after the treatments were administered. So far so good at 10 months post surgery/radiation- I believe a psa of 13 after surgery is a cause for concern. I would consult with my doctors and see what they plan to do. I am pretty sure another psa test will be part of the equation and then a plan of action depending on the results--- good luck

    Good Advice
    Kooljay,

    Bronx gave you some great advice about consulting with your medical team about your post surgical PSA and what options you might wish to consider. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best in your battle against this disease.
  • lshick
    lshick Member Posts: 62
    #4
    Radiation: local vs. metastasis
    One question to address with your medical team is the odds that you might have metastasis (vs. purely local tissue left behind in the pelvic area). Radiation may help with local tissue, but will do you no good if you have metastasis.
  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,641 Member
    #5
    lshick said:

    Radiation: local vs. metastasis
    One question to address with your medical team is the odds that you might have metastasis (vs. purely local tissue left behind in the pelvic area). Radiation may help with local tissue, but will do you no good if you have metastasis.

    You looking for a nadir PSA
    A PSA from the pathological report after surgery may not mean the true PSA taken for judgment of recurrence. Usual the PSA stables 8 to 15 days after surgery. My pathological report also indicated a PSA much higher than the nadir.
    VGama
  • kooljay
    kooljay Member Posts: 7
    #6
    VascodaGama said:

    You looking for a nadir PSA
    A PSA from the pathological report after surgery may not mean the true PSA taken for judgment of recurrence. Usual the PSA stables 8 to 15 days after surgery. My pathological report also indicated a PSA much higher than the nadir.
    VGama

    sorry my mistake
    that psa score was before the surgury . i am gettin my first psa results next week . thanks and sorry about that.
  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,641 Member
    #7
    kooljay said:

    sorry my mistake
    that psa score was before the surgury . i am gettin my first psa results next week . thanks and sorry about that.

    Kooljay, Thanks for posting
    Hi Kooljay
    Thanks for posting the error. Your next PSA results will surprise you with a very low number. Take that as your Christmas present.
    I wonder why you say that you are going to embark on radiation therapy. Usually such decision is only done after interpreting the data in the pathological report in conjunction with your PSA post-op. Meaning next week.
    If the comment is your private opinion, or just for investigation purposes, you may read about the different types of RT (SRT) and their side effects, in some posts in this forum.
    Do not be anxious. Remember that you are not alone. I and many in this forum will help you in understanding matters (as laymen) according to our experiences.

    I wish the best in your journey.
    VGama

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